The present invention generally relates to potable water and waste systems for an aircraft, and more particularly relates to an improved potable water supply and waste system for a commercial aircraft galley.
Commercial aircraft flights commonly have aircraft galleys with a potable or drinking water system and a waste water disposal system. Galley inserts such as beverage makers and other water-consuming appliances placed in a work deck of the aircraft galley are usually connected to potable water and waste water disposal systems to provide hot and cold beverage and waste service for commercial aircraft cabin passengers during flight. Flight crew members generally fill the potable water supply system for ready access before the flight begins, and then drain the system when food and beverage service is complete at the end of the flight.
However, multiple or separate manifolds are typically used for both supplying and draining the potable water supply and waste system, taking up desired space in the work deck of the compact aircraft galley. This space may be required for multiple sources of water consumption, including but not limited to beverage makers, sinks, drip trays, and chillers. Thus, there is a need for a space-effective solution for supplying potable water to galleys, for draining waste water from galleys, and for draining unused potable water in the potable water supply and waste system. In addition, some galleys may be designed to be more compact, or have a reduced footprint, than conventional commercial aircraft galleys, making a streamlined solution that is easy to assemble all the more important.
Hence, it is desirable to provide a simplified and improved potable water supply and waste plumbing system for conventional and reduced footprint aircraft galleys installed in commercial aircraft cabin interiors. It is further desirable to provide an improved potable water supply and waste system for an aircraft galley that provides waste water collection from multiple sources of water-consumption in the work deck, incorporates backflow prevention mechanisms, and allows flushing of the entire system before commencing galley service. The present invention meets these and other needs.